Sunday, November 18, 2012

Ahhhhh, Thanksgiving is just around the
corner. For those of you who haven’t
gone shopping for your Turkey Day feast, here is a great recipe for you. And surprise surprise – no turkey
here. I enjoy the fixins but not
any of that fake turkey stuff.
Staying away from the over processed products as much as I can. I have my weaknesses (fakin), but I can
do without the other “look like meat” products.

Add this great Apple Butternut Squash Soup with
the special ingredient of red lentils.
When the red lentils are pureed with the soup you can’t even tell they
are in there. Plus, they don’t
need to be soaked because they are so small. By roasting the squash instead of boiling it, a layer of
complexity and a sweet caramelization develops.

This soup is chock full of nutrients and a great
cold buster. Butternut squash is
super high in Vitamin A and pretty substantial in Vitamin C, Manganese, and
Potassium. It is also a good
source of Vitamin E, bunch of B’s, Calcium and Magnesium. The apples add even more Vitamin C and
fiber. Red lentils add more fiber,
protein, Folate, Iron, Copper, and Manganese. Ginger is great for digestion, cold prevention, migraine
relief, and pain and inflammation.
Nutmeg is good for brain stimulation, pain relief, indigestion and
cleansing. I didn’t know this soup
was so beneficial!!!

Also check out our previous blogs for additional
information and recipes for the fall:

Preheat oven to 400F. Spray a baking sheet with the olive oil and place the cubed
butternut squash in a single layer.
Spray with more olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, toss. Roast for about 30 minutes tossing
after 15 minutes.

While the squash is roasting, prepare the
remaining ingredients. Add 1 t
olive oil to pot. Add the chopped
onions and apples. When soft, add
nutmeg, ginger, and red pepper.
Stir. Wait a minute or so
until you can smell the spices come alive and fragrant. Add broth, lentils and water. Simmer for 30 minutes.

Remove squash from oven and add to simmering soup. Cook for an additional 10 minutes. Puree in blender or using a stick
blender. Be careful as the soup is
HOT. Add salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with fresh ginger and nutmeg.

About Me

Karen Bukolt has been a vegetarian since 1992. A native of Buffalo, NY, the birthplace of chicken wings and beef-on-weck, the beginning was quite challenging. There was only one store where she could find tofu, on Elmwood Ave. (a hike for most suburban Buffalonians). Thank goodness views toward vegetarianism have changed and eating healthy and responsibly no longer means having to scour the ends of the health to find the ingredients you need.
When she moved to San Francisco, Karen discovered there was more to being vegetarian than tofu. Through the years of experiencing the West Coast’s vegetarian delights and experimenting in her own kitchen to find healthy and delicious meals that would satisfy the most discriminating of her carnivorous friends, her knowledge of vegetarian substitutions and healthy living has continued to grow.
With her passion for cooking and baking, she has created a bounty of vegetarian dishes that she would like to share with you. Karen enjoys taking meat dishes and making them vegetarian. The meals are satisfying, flavorful, and easy to prepare.